July was a month of Western Wall moments. An American couple stayed here at the guest house for almost a month, and I got to know them as friends (not just guests). I had been wanting to go on a tour of the Western Wall tunnel since arriving in January but hadn't called to make a reservation yet. When Ken and Wanda made plans to go, they asked if I wanted to join them. It was extra special to go with friends!
The Western Wall tunnel travels underground along the original western retaining wall of the Temple Mount, built under King Herod. During the Roman destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD, stones from the Temple and from the western retaining wall itself were pushed off the western side of the platform into the Tyropean Valley. Some of this rubble has been cleared away, but much has not. Also, the modern-day Muslim Quarter of Jerusalem's Old City was built on arches constructed over 1st century Jerusalem's rubble and streets. Part of the Western Wall remained exposed as a place of prayer for the Jews after the Temple was destroyed, but this open air prayer plaza is only about 197 feet in length. The Western Wall tunnel allows people to see another 1600 feet of the original Western Wall.
This walk is absolutely fascinating; for more information, visit http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Western_Wall_Tunnel. One highlight of this tour is a mammoth building stone impossible to capture in a photo. Measuring 45 feet long, 11 feet tall, 11-14 feet deep, and weighing approximately 628 tons, it is one of the largest building stones in the world.
As this trip was actually my 3rd walk through the Western Wall tunnel, I didn't take many pictures--sorry! You'll have to visit it yourself!!! :-) But, after walking to the northern corner of the wall, we walked through a Hasmonean aqueduct. This channeled water to the Temple Mount during the period of Hasmonean rule (165-37 BC). It is amazing in its height and construction, and I am excited to share pictures of this with you.
A week later, on July 29th (Hannah's 19th birthday!), I visited the Chain of Generations center at the Western Wall. This is a fantastic artistic exhibit illustrating how Jerusalem is golden chain linking all generations of Jewish people together. After this walk through history, the exit leads one out to an overlook of the Western Wall. I found a place to sit and watch the light on the wall change as the sun set. The following pictures were taken over a span of approximately 45 minutes.
The Temple Mount and Western Wall plaza the evening of July 29th . . .
On the evening of Friday, July 30th, a friend and I coordinated schedules so we could have a catch-up visit by phone. She called at 1pm Mountain time (10pm Israel time), and I was able to find a quiet and secluded place to visit. Where did I find a quiet place in Jerusalem?? On top of the guest house roof. :-) It was so peaceful and serene. After our conversation finished, I tried to take some photos of the views. These aren't the best composition-wise and they certainly don't do justice to the atmosphere, but they're better than nothing!
The front of Christ Church at night
Jerusalem's Old City skyline (looking north from the guest house roof)
East Jerusalem's skyline at night . . .
Hope you've enjoyed these moments of history and Jerusalem evenings with me!
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